Hey,
I am a vegetarian. Someone told me once that this is more a female spirituality practice as if it somehow makes me unmanly. What do you all think about this? I figure that the Buddha was a vegetarian, and let's not forget Kwai Chang Cain and Mr. Spock. All kidding aside, is vegetarianism a valid path for a man? It seems to work for me.
Dave

Hey,I am a vegetarian. Someone told me once that this is more a female spirituality practice as if it somehow makes me unmanly. What do you all think about this? I figure that the Buddha was a vegetarian, and let's not forget Kwai Chang Cain and Mr. Spock. All kidding aside, is vegetarianism a valid path for a man? It seems to work for me.Dave

It sounds like you answered your own question: it works for you.

On the other hand, not everyone believes that an omnivorous diet is incompatible with spirituality: that works for them. There are plenty of kind-hearted, generous, spiritual people (male and female) who eat meat.

I have never heard anyone say that vegetarianism is a "female spirituality practice." Sounds like one of those unfounded comments people say without thinking about the truth of what they are saying. Isn't that comment sort of like saying men should never be given custody of children after divorce, or men should never cook? Seems like it is riddled with cultural biases, stereotypes, and preconceptions about which roles are alloted to men and which to women, no?

Dave Bear: Do YOUR thing, man! I haven't evolved THIS far in my life by listening to what "everyone else" says. I am a diabetic; and veggies are a BIG part of my daily menu. I do eat some meat, but THAT does NOT make me "more of a man". LOL. I am a man, period. As long as you are happy that's all that REALLY matters.

I would strongly disagree. I wanted to say "it's a bunch of crap," but I don't think Beliefnet would go along with that kind of assessment. There is a certain segment of feminism which says stuff like this in trying to assign all negative traits to men and positive traits to women. So a "real man" has to become more like a "woman." I've eaten meat most of my life, but I struggle to be vegetarian, and mostly I succeed.

That is exactly my point. Although I acknowledge that men's spirituality and women's takes somewhat different forms, it is still human spirituality. Further, I detest it when some feminists try to define all good traits as feminine and all bad traits as masculine. On another forum I was accused of abusing women because I had responded to someone who was trashing all men . She had said that men were subhuman as we were abusers by nature. In fairness to her, it was pretty clear from her posts that she had been raped. I meant to assure her that I was not her enemy. However, another man told me I was being dishonest because men are abusive to women everyday. He accused me of a lack of self-awareness. He started apologizing to women for being a man, and then he challenged the rest of us men to apologize too. I was really angry. I felt that by twisting the language to say I had abused when I hadn't, desensitized people to what real abuse like rape, etc. is about. I got limited support on that forum. However, the woman in question and I reached something of a peace as she told me it must seem unfair to be branded as evil when I was a good man. Anyway, to get back to vegetarianism: It didn't last very long and I fell off the wagon. I am back to savoring the taste of meat.
Dave

That is exactly my point. Although I acknowledge that men's spirituality and women's takes somewhat different forms, it is still human spirituality. Further, I detest it when some feminists try to define all good traits as feminine and all bad traits as masculine. On another forum I was accused of abusing women because I had responded to someone who was trashing all men . She had said that men were subhuman as we were abusers by nature. In fairness to her, it was pretty clear from her posts that she had been raped. I meant to assure her that I was not her enemy. However, another man told me I was being dishonest because men are abusive to women everyday. He accused me of a lack of self-awareness. He started apologizing to women for being a man, and then he challenged the rest of us men to apologize too. I was really angry. I felt that by twisting the language to say I had abused when I hadn't, desensitized people to what real abuse like rape, etc. is about. I got limited support on that forum. However, the woman in question and I reached something of a peace as she told me it must seem unfair to be branded as evil when I was a good man. Anyway, to get back to vegetarianism: It didn't last very long and I fell off the wagon. I am back to savoring the taste of meat.
Dave

That is exactly my point. Although I acknowledge that men's spirituality and women's takes somewhat different forms, it is still human spirituality. Further, I detest it when some feminists try to define all good traits as feminine and all bad traits as masculine. On another forum I was accused of abusing women because I had responded to someone who was trashing all men . She had said that men were subhuman as we were abusers by nature. In fairness to her, it was pretty clear from her posts that she had been raped. I meant to assure her that I was not her enemy. However, another man told me I was being dishonest because men are abusive to women everyday. He accused me of a lack of self-awareness. He started apologizing to women for being a man, and then he challenged the rest of us men to apologize too. I was really angry. I felt that by twisting the language to say I had abused when I hadn't, desensitized people to what real abuse like rape, etc. is about. I got limited support on that forum. However, the woman in question and I reached something of a peace as she told me it must seem unfair to be branded as evil when I was a good man. Anyway, to get back to vegetarianism: It didn't last very long and I fell off the wagon. I am back to savoring the taste of meat. Dave

Communication is a tricky business. Not always easy to pick the right words and say the things we want to say. Still, if someone is saying things like, "men are subhuman and abusers by nature," then that is clearly an unfounded negative generalization and quitely likely violates Bnet's ROC.

At one point I might have taken issue with a comment like that and gone to Bnet staff and maybe asked them to delete it. But I have sort of reached a point now where I see it for what it is and I prefer now to leave such comments uncontested. I think the fair-minded readers out there see that sort of thing for what it is. And, really, it only proves the point that certain feminists (and I stress the word certain) are virulently anti-male. Doesn't matter if you are Ghandi, there are certain feminists who will hate you simply because you are male.

As to the savour of meat, it is really a personal choice, is it not? As far as I can see into this, it speaks well of you that you question what you do and how you eat. But at the end of the day, it is your choice.

I'm sorry perhaps it is nothing more than semantics, perhaps it is indeed more. There is nothing unmanly in being a vegetarian, I'm not so sure that being a vegetarian is necessarily a spiritual path, however. It seems to me when one wishes to mix spirituality in one is more likely to be talking about a Vegan. But perhaps that simply reflects my own understanding. None the less being vegetarian or Vegan doesn't seem unmanly to me for what that might be worth.